New CSCS Labourer cards now last only 2 years

If you are getting your first green CSCS Labourer card, it now lasts 2 years — not 5 like before. The change applies to new cards issued in 2026.

Why it matters: sites increasingly scan cards digitally, so an expired card gets caught at the gate, and that can mean a lost day's pay — or a lost start.

To renew you will need your CITB Health, Safety & Environment test to be in date (the test itself is valid 2 years). So for many people, renewing the card means re-sitting the test first — £23.50, booked only on the official citb.co.uk site.

Our advice: put the expiry date in your phone with a reminder 6 months before — that is how early you are allowed to renew. If you are in the Graftum Network, we track your card expiry and remind you in time, free.